The New Britain Common Council held a special meeting on March 26, 2025, to consider three bonding resolutions totaling over $204 million. After public testimony urging action on stormwater flooding, the council approved all three items, with amendments to the capital improvements package to redirect funds toward the Allen Street reconstruction project. All votes were unanimous (15-0).
School Projects – $157,500,000 Appropriation and Bond Authorization (Item 1 & 2)
White Bridge Waterworks Facility – $40,900,000 Appropriation and Bond Authorization (Item 3 & 4)
Various Capital Improvements – $6,300,000 Appropriation and Bond Authorization (Item 5 & 6)
Welcome to the special meeting of the Common Council. We begin as usual with public participation. We are discussing three resolutions pertaining to bonding tonight. So remarks should be limited to bonding by the city. Last year, New Britain experienced five major rain events that resulted in significant flooding on Allen, Hampton, and Roxbury streets. This persistent issue poses a nuisance and a long-term threat to the structural integrity of homes and the well-being of the affected residents. The financial burden of repeated repairs and the potential health hazards associated with mold and dampness underscore the urgency of addressing this infrastructure deficiency. It might be unwise to depend on the state for financing this crucial infrastructure project. Due to policy uncertainties, the state of Connecticut is unsure of funding allocations for highway, education, and Medicare grants. The process for the next state budget will likely be challenging with various competing priorities and limited funds available. This uncertainty could delay or even jeopardize the necessary support for the Allen Steep project, leaving the affected areas vulnerable to further damage. By not considering bonding as a viable financing option, the council risks exacerbating the current problems. Bonding offers a more immediate and reliable source of funds, enabling the city to undertake the necessary improvements promptly. It allows for spreading the cost over an extended period, making it more manageable for the city's budget while ensuring that critical infrastructure projects like the Allen Street Project are not indefinitely postponed. That's my comments. Thank you for the time. Thank you, Robert. Our next speaker is Carol Austin. Thanks for letting me speak. I know it's difficult to make decisions that can't please everyone all of the time. But my name is Carol Ostad, and I live at 38 Wellington Street in New Britain, Connecticut. I came here tonight because I think there is an item that's missing from the bonding agenda that is addressing the stormwater improvements on Allen Street and elsewhere. The ongoing threat of property damage, public safety, and health will continue. Our city can no longer put these infrastructure upgrades at the bottom of the list. I'm a newly retired professor from Central, where I taught for 37 years. I bought my house at 38 Wellington Street years ago. I could have chosen to live elsewhere, but I chose New Britain because I believe this city, uh I've lived in this city, and I wanted to contribute to making it a place that people were proud to call home. Over the years, my husband and I worked tirelessly to maintain and improve our property. Little by little, as finance is allowed, we made our home and its grounds into something that we and passerbys would enjoy. Neighbors often stop to admire the flowers, the trees, the lawn, and told me they look forward to seeing the zinnias blooming every year when I plant them. But we invested not only in the beauty of our home, but in its stability. It's not stable anymore. Our basement was dry for five or more years, but little by little the flooding became disastrous. We had to choose between upgrading our property or flooding. After frittering away thousands of dollars on our hard-earned money, the flooding problem persists. So today I'm asking you plainly, why is this still unresolved? I'm pleading with you, you elected officials to set politics aside and to do the right thing. Of course, parks and parking lots are important. I love them. But there are priorities. If the council can't address the basic needs of longtime citizens like myself, if you choose to ignore and belittle community activists who have appropriately brought this to your attention, if the safety and welfare of residents in flood-prone areas are being ignored and not prioritized, then what message are you sending to us? Your vote not to care for flooded citizens makes it impossible for me to proudly say that New Britain is a city that listens, that cares, and takes care of its people. Should I tell my colleagues and others who come to work in the New Britain area not to buy property here because of the chronic flooding and lack of response by city officials? Is that what we're going to have to come to? So you have the power to fix this. You can show that this council is responsive, responsible, and willing to put the health and safety of its citizens first. Please reconsider. Don't wait for state intervention. Don't pass this off to someone else. Act now.